Patricia Leavy

Patricia Leavy, Ph.D., is a bestselling author and internationally known sociologist. She was formerly Associate Professor of Sociology, Founding Director of Gender Studies, and Chairperson of Sociology & Criminology at Stonehill College. She has authored, coauthored, and edited over 50 books, earning critical and commercial success in both nonfiction and fiction, and her work has been translated into numerous languages. Her work has garnered over one hundred book awards including USA Best Book Awards, Independent Press Awards, International Impact Book Awards, National Indie Excellence Awards, International Book Awards, New York City Big Book Awards, Firebird Book Awards, and American Fiction Awards. She has also received numerous career awards including, the New England Sociological Association 2010 New England Sociologist of the Year, the American Creativity Association 2014 Special Achievement Award, the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry 2015 Special Career Award, the National Art Education Association 2018 Distinguished Contributions Outside of the Profession Award, the American Educational Research Association 2018 Division D Significant Contributions to Educational Measurement and Methodology Award, and the American Educational Research Association 2022 Outstanding Achievement in Arts and Learning Award. In 2018 she was honored by the National Women’s Hall of Fame and SUNY-New Paltz established “The Patricia Leavy Award for Art and Social Justice.” In 2022 she was presented with an award for Leadership and Humanitarian Efforts in Literature and Publishing by an empowerment network, We Are the Real Deal. In 2024 the London Arts-Based Research Centre established “The Patricia Leavy Award for Arts-Based Research.”